Is there any deal for using Amex card?

[theclays]

I have been told there are extra benefits with Radisson if using American Express to pay for the cruise, but I cannot find any info. Does anyone know about this? Thanks.

[WesW]

AMERICAN EXPRESS PLATINUM/CENTURION PROGRAMIf you have an American Express Platinum card - the one that costs $395 a year you can receive the following benefits. NO OTHER AMERICAN EXPRESS PLATINUM AFFILIATED CARD WILL WORK. No Delta, Optima, Costco, Hilton, etc - affiliated Platinum cards.

• $150 on board credit per person up to $300 per cabin

  
   
  

• $225 on board credit if single occupancy cabin

  
   
  

• Special Check in and early boarding

  
   
  

• American Express cocktail party with the Captain.

  
   
  

• On board credit can be used for any expense on the ship except the casino.

  
   
  

• CENTURION CARDS RECEIVE $250 PER PERSON UP TO $500 A CABIN AND $375 FOR SINGLES.

  
   
  

DETAILS ON THE PROGRAM

• The cardholder MUST be one of the people traveling on the cruise
  
• .Up to THREE cabins can have the benefits added if all the charges are on an AMX card and the Platinum card holder uses his Platinum card number to apply for the credit.
  
• It is NOT necessary to use the Platinum card to pay for the cruise to acquire the credit. However the entire cruise must be paid on an AMX card of some kind. No Visa, MC or any other card.
  
• There are many Platinum AMX cards, Delta, Hilton, Optima etc these DO NOT QUALIFY it must be the unaffiliated $395 Platinum card to qualify. All cards are approved and checked by American Express to ensure they are qualified.
  
• Please be sure to tell _____if you have an American Express qualifying Platinum card. This is not an automatic process and steps must be taken in order to receive the benefits.
  
• On back to back voyages or the World Cruise voyages only ONE AMX credit will be applied.
  

[Marylis]

Does anyone have this credit card? Are any of the other benefits really worthwhile? There seem to be benefits in certain hotels and also a free companion ticket if you book first class through them, but I read somewhere that they charge you twice as much for the first class ticket so it's really not worth it.

 

Clearly if you cruise twice a year, it's worth it, but if you don't, are the other benefits worthwhile?

 

Lis

[WesW]

mary & lis, your precisely correct...our rule of thumb--two cruises per year

=$600 credit, more than pays for the $395 yr/fee...also you get access to

the airport club rooms (Delta, Northwest, etc.) when you fly them even on a

coach ticket..also, your right on the 2:1 deal, e.g. a 2:1 deal to South Africa

from Atlanta is over $12k biz class whereas on the skyauction website you can

get coach tickets for less than $1000 r/t...would recommend AMXP if you cruise

at least twice per year on the participating cruise lines (RSSC, Silversea, Seaborne,

Crystal, HAL) r/wes

[Marylis]

Thanks Wes :)

 

Lis

[Pam]

We've had the Amex Platinum card for about 15 years, I think; there are several obscure benefits that we enjoy having, so it's worth the price to us.

[FFMilesJunkie]

Wes,

 

What exactly is the "special" check-in? How much earlier can Plat/Cent cardholders checkin? As a Centurion, we're getting a $500 room credit along with a $150 per year credit for taking advantage of the cruise program. I also think we get a 10,000 bonus Membership Award points for booking the cruise through AMEX. Are there any other Centurion benefits that you are aware of such as an upgrade?

 

Thanks

[JoAnne B]

The RSSC website lists a special offer on number of sailings that gives shipboard credits for using the Amex card....some more than the platinum credit....and they don't mention the platinum card. It may be worth checking out if you don't have the costly card.

 

Two cruises a year more than pays for mine. Plus access to the Continental President's club is worth it's weight in platinum for those of us in Houston.

[howndder]

Hi;

We've been members of AMEX for several years and I thought I'd add my two cents worth. Very few airlines allow 2 for 1 F/C. Mostly Biz. I personally have used this option 4 times in the 10 yrs we have the card. We have more than made up the cost of the card than we can ever expect. Also more and more cruise lines are offering the $300.00 shopboard credit if you book a full suite. Radisson, Seabourn, Silverseas on any cabin. On Holland they also throw in a dinner in their wonderful Pinnacle Grill (first night only). I think you should invest in a Platinum card. AMX also throws in a terriffic magazine called Departures.

thanks;

 

Hownder

[WesW]

Concur it AMX-P is worth doing if you cruise at least twice per year...have yet to experience the early check in, but there is a nice cocktail party on every AMX-P pd

cruise...and as Hownder says, Departures is a nice read...they also direct mail you special

deals (Dinner/hotel/fine dining weekend in NY, Chicago or 4 nites in Caribbean) plus

if you use AMX Travel services as FFJ states above you get extra membership rewards...however, we use our own T/A who does a wonderful job verifying all

transactions are processed..r/wes

[englishlee]

You guys are lucky. Amex Platinum Cards issued in the UK don't qualify for the on-board credits etc. And the card costs more (approx $525).

 

Mind you we need a Platinum card (and a mortgage) to pay for a full tank of gas these days. We now pay more than $6.50 per gallon.

[theclays]

Very pleased to get this info. Thanks everyone and especially Colonel Wes!

 

We have the Platinum card but it is affiliated with Air Canada and earns reward miles - so perhaps does not qualify for the shipboard credits. Also, it is a new card received since paying the deposit (with Visa).... so we are possibly out of luck.

 

When we inquired with Amex, their representative was unaware of any Radisson benefits so this is very good to know. We'll make further inquiries.

[KeepCruizen]

theclays, you can still get the Amex Plat benfits even if you paid your deposit with your visa I did the same thing last year before my TA told me about the extras you get with the Plat card she said I would still get the extras if I made my final payment with the Plat card and she was right I got everything they offered but mine was a just the Plat card I think it does not work when it is affilated with air miles you need to call Amex and check that out.

 

Denise

[ElleninNY]

The Amex Platinum 2 for 1 Specials are only on certain airlines and although you pay full price for a business class ticket, when you divide it in half, the price is excellent. I recently purchased two tickets to India thru Amex Platinum using Air France. When I comped other airlines, I couldn't even get full fare tickets on other airlines.

 

In addition, we have frequently received perks just for having the card. We have received free massages and other benefits well worth the card.

[theclays]

Thanks for your reply, Denise. I will check with Amex as you suggest.

 

We have already recovered the cost of the card using the free companion airline ticket for our return (business class) from Australia next February (after Voyager cruise from L.A. to Sydney).